The darkness of the small room hit him like a club and winded him. He stepped in welcomed only by the clicks and ticking of the machines he had made. Gabriel heard the door creak shut, a noise that pierced his ears as he walk around the counter through the dark room and opened another door in the back.
It led to a small apartment – the living room and bedroom appearing to be in the same space. The bed looked as though its owner suffered from restless sleep, the blanket draping onto the floor next to a thin pillow.
He found his way to the old, lumpy, brown chair and fell into it. He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. Though he rarely slept he felt exhausted. In all of the wildest dreams of the world he would never have fathomed something happening to him that was remotely resembling what he had just experienced.
His entire life he had found that he was automatically closed off to people, feeling more comfortable with his own thoughts and his own way of doing things. He was smart; even as a child his instructors and teachers at school noticed his early blossoming intelligence. Unfortunately, the other children noticed as well and their reactions were not those of praise and admiration as he had received from his elders.
As he'd entered into his adult life, Gabriel had managed to somehow mask, or block those memories and the distractions they caused him. But he found that as he sat there alone old emotions, memories, and thoughts were being drudged up in his mind, even as he'd walked back from Ellen's home.
Ellen. The longing for her powers was still strong in him but unlike the others he'd taken, this time it was being fought and he could not understand why.
It was he who had chosen her out of all of those he'd seen when he watched her running up the street. With a flick of his thought her shoe had broken and she fell.
Now, he was falling.
Never again. He would never see her again because he would not harm her. He would not. But he wanted to see her – to feel her touch again. The shock of it was still wearing off it had been so long since anyone had touched him in that way – gently, sincerely, as though they cared for him.
He suddenly felt the pain of being alone. He always had been. He, Gabriel Grey, had always been alone until that day when he allowed someone to take him over.
Reckless! Stupidly reckless! He should have killed her right then on the street, no cutting or precision but one swift lift of his hand and her neck would have broken, her body collapsed onto the street in the crowd and they would never know why. Sylar would have been freed before being imprisoned by her.
Gabriel leaned back in the chair, his face to the ceiling. That is what he must do. He would have to now. There was no other way to get things back as they once were than to be rid of her. He was supposed to be alone.
Gabriel got to his feet and went into the little bathroom. His dark eyes stared back at him in the mirror as he leaned on the sink in front of him, his hands gripping the porcelain. They were nothing but empty holes, pitiless vacuums. But she hadn't seen that. What did she see when she looked at him, at his eyes?
It didn't matter. Soon she would be gone and what belonged to her would be his.
A tear rolled down the cheek of his reflection. With a growl in his throat he struck the man in the mirror with all of his strength. Shards of glass scattered about him, bits cutting into his face and falling to the floor.
Gabriel pulled his fist from the broken mirror, his blood ran down his fingers and wrist, dripping deep red on the white, porcelain sink. The smell then reached him as it always did. Sweet, hot and sticky. Turning his nose up at it, he turned on the faucet and ran the water over his hand, watching the pale red slide down the drain.
It stung him, but he didn't feel it. His eyes drifted back in front of him where the man in the mirror had been. A few pieces of glass still hanged in the frame and reflected his face. Flecks of blood were on his cheeks and forehead where he'd been cut by the broken mirror and they began to drip down his skin. Sylar nodded to himself.
He would go – but not tonight, tomorrow. He would gain what she had to offer and allow her to lead him to Claire Bennett.
He didn't come.
Ellen had watched from her little stage during both sets of songs and he never came. She ended her last song, That Old Black Magic with no sign of him at any table.
After the last clattering of applause, Ellen took her last bow with a little difficulty, her ankle was still hurting her, and sighed. She moved back stage to her dressing room and closed the door, meeting her own eyes in the reflection of the mirror across the little room. The face was sad under her evening makeup. She probably would never see him again.
Perhaps it was just as well. He had been so aloof before she probably mattered very little to him.
Cursing herself for getting her hopes up so much she sat in her rickety chair and began removing her makeup whishing she could see those brown eyes with her in her reflection.
There was no mistaking it now. He had found her. On the steps he couldn't get a clear look at her face but now as he sat in a dimly lit corner there was no denying it. The entire evening he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She was real – and the voice made her yet so unreal to him.
Peter sat at his table still, staring at the empty stage, the chair she'd sat on, the piano sitting silently under the darkened lights.
"You almost finished, honey?" Peter was pulled from his thoughts and looked up lazily at the pretty waitress who stood above him, "We're gonna be closing up soon." She said indicating the drink he hadn't touched all evening.
Muttering what sounded like a "thank you" he stood, throwing some cash on the table and left, taking his coat from the back of his chair. He hadn't forgotten why he'd come there and now that he knew who she was it was that much more important to him that he warn her and protect her if necessary.
He waited outside the club for her to come out, hoping he was doing the right thing. It was very late, but he saw no car waiting for her. Surely she didn't walk home every night.
Peter heard a door open and hushed voices outside.
"I'll be fine, Craig. I always am." He heard her voice. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Her footsteps echoed on the pavement as she turned the corner opposite Peter and started down the dark street. Perhaps she did see him and pretended not to instinctively to help keep herself safe.
He started after her, wondering what he should say.
She walked stiffly, prepared to spring if anything caught her off guard.
Peter's walk slowed and Ellen's sped up as he watched her curiously. Each street lamp she walked by whether it was dim or fully lit it flared up to it's brightest in her presence then died down again after she'd passed.
Ellen could hear footsteps not too far behind her but they were steady as though whomever they belonged to wasn't putting forth an effort to not be heard. She wasn't going to take the chance and quickened her pace. The steps were still there but they did not match her.
Ellen groaned. She hadn't had to use it in a while and she didn't plan on starting up again – ever. It was dangerous and that was the bottom line to her. It had taken her such a long time to control it when she was a teenager. There had been a lot of accidents at that time of her life.
Finally, she decided to give them a full warning first.
Peter saw her stop suddenly. The street light next to her flickered. She looked at him over her shoulder, her hand held in front of her. Her eyes brightened and glowed with an unnaturally blue-white light. Peter stopped as her fingers spread, allowing the current to course in between and around them and the body of her hand.
It looked to him as though she held a miniature lightning show in her hand. Over and over again it seemed like it was growing but she held control over it, her piercing eyes never faltering as she looked at him. Never had he seen power like that besides what Sylar or even Ted could do. If Peter was guessing right Ellen could actually create and manipulate electric current.
The night was too dark. She couldn't see his face even with the light coming from her. He was just another dark figure out at night but she had made him stop. That should be enough. Ellen closed her fist, lowering her hand and started walking again, her fingers still tingling with the charge.
So, she could take care of herself; that would be a decent conclusion to come to after that little light show Peter witnessed. But he was hesitating, second guessing himself. If he came into contact with her he'd absorb that power as he'd done Nathan's, Claire's, Sylar's and everyone else he'd ever come into contact with, including Ted.
The memory of what had happened came to his mind. He couldn't stop it then and he had to let go finally. If it had not been for Nathan he still would have lived but he'd be more of a murderer than Sylar ever could be.
But this was the woman he was supposed to meet. Even he could not deny the surety of that. She was in danger and had to be warned.
Peter looked up and saw how far she'd gone. He broke into a run and called her name. Ellen turned around sharply, her fist clenched and bathed in a white glow but she waited. She watched him come into the light of a street lamp and slow down until he reached her.
"Why have you been following me?" she snapped
Please don't hurt me…How much money do I have in my purse?
Peter looked innocently taken aback, his eyes flicking from her face to her hand, the light around it growing in intensity. He held his open hands out in front of him to claim he meant no harm.
"Ellen, you've got to listen to me. It's very important that you do."
"And how do you know my name?" her other hand began to glow.
"I'm Peter Petrelli. I was the one you were supposed to meet today." His words fell over each other as the fear of being electrocuted jumped to mind.
Ellen calmed a little, her body relaxing.
…cute. She thought.
Peter did his best to ignore her thoughts and stepped forward. As he did so he felt an uncomfortable tingling in his hands and fingers.
"What is it then?" her tone was still stiff and paranoid.
"The man you met today –"
"Gabriel?"
"Yeah – " he paused, the energy in his hands overpowering him.
Ellen covered her mouth in shock and stepped backwards. Peter's eyes began to glow as hers had done. Electric current moved and arced up and down his arms, around his back until it was consuming him. She could barely see his face in the light of it.
"You've got to help me!" Peter groaned as he staggered backwards. Jets of light danced about the pavement around him, kissed the walls of buildings and touched on Ellen as she quickly moved towards him into the field Peter had created.
She found his hands and grasped them in her own, doing what she'd taught herself to do several years before.
"Calm your thoughts Peter." She said, closing her eyes, willing her control over them both.
The light dimmed in Peter's eyes as he saw the energy transfer to her and back to him again until it faded, shrinking down. The brightness of it dulled until the last of the light was gone from her and the street light overhead blew out.
She released his hands immediately and scowled at him. It was probably a good thing she's missed him that afternoon. He could have blown up the restaurant.
"How the hell did you do that?"
He does what I do. He heard her think.
"Not exactly." He said aloud.
"What?"
"I mean, um, I'm like you. Claire is as well." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I absorb powers from other people and can use them as my own. Controlling them is a different matter, though."
Ellen raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. "So you can do what I can do now?" she said.
"Looks that way." He smiled helplessly.
"Useful."
Peter shook his head, "and a pain in the ass."
He stared at her blankly for a minute before realizing what he was there for. "I came to warn you." He continued, "About Sy – Gabriel."
Ellen looked thoroughly confused. "How do you know him?"
Peter hesitated until he realized there was no other way to say it, "He's tried to kill me more than once. Claire too. He's extremely dangerous."
Much to his frustration, Ellen's reaction wasn't what he had predicted. She started to laugh.
"Gabriel?" she said smiling, "He didn't even want to swat a fly that had gotten into his shop while I was there."
There isn't really a full deck there.
Peter sighed.
..just because I didn't meet him for lunch today. Talk about sensitive and insecure –
He'd had enough of the annihilation of his character, "He only wants you for your powers, Ellen!"
Ellen became irritated once again, "Then why didn't he just kill me while I was with him today if he's so crazy?"
Peter opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off.
"And for the record, Gabriel wasn't the one following me down a dark street so late at night."
Excellent point, Peter had to conclude.
"Gabriel is one of the kindest men I've ever met. Just because you have some kind of grudge against him or something –"
"He tried to kill me." Peter said.
Jeez, talk about jealousy. He's absolutely nuts.
Peter's frustration with her was overflowing, "Look! Will you get over yourself for just a minute." His face was stone serious. Ellen said nothing.
"This has nothing to do with what happened earlier today. This is about him. All he understands is power. He's been after Claire's and mine for a long time. Now he wants yours."
Ellen stared at him. It's not true. She told herself.
"I have no reason to believe you. What you're saying is absolutely outrageous! I can't believe you."
"You don't want to believe me." He studied her for a moment, knowing right then he'd never forgive himself if anything happened to her. "If you do see him tomorrow, I can't stop you. I can only warn you, be careful and don't see him again." He was serious as the grave and he could tell that she was finally taking him that way.
"Okay." She said simply.
He nodded, "I'm sorry if I scared you before."
Ellen shrugged as he turned to walk back up the street. Ellen stood still under the broken street light.
"Peter." She called.
He turned to look at her.
"If he's also like us, what can Gabriel do?"
"Everything." Peter said and started walking again.
I have to see him now. This is insane! He heard Ellen think to herself again.
"I'll be there, then." Peter muttered to himself as he heard her footsteps become more and more distant.
